Apparatus for the production of yarn packages



A ril 5, 1938. T. H. EICKHOFF ET AL 2,112,827

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed July 8, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet l 27 FIG. 5.

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i ATTORNEY A ril 5, 1938. T. H. EICKHOFF ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed July 8, 1956 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

ATTORNEY 7 April 5, 1938. T. H. EICKHOFF Er AL 2,112,827

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed July 8, 1936 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 A ril 5, 1938. T. H. EICKHOFF ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES GSheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 8, 1956 Wa /fizz Tie. 6

INVENTOR fieadm Z/Qdww A ATTOI QNEY April 5, 1938.

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES Filed July 8, 1936 e Sheets-Shet 5 IN V EN TOR.

(AM Parr/dd- FTZORNEY 7 T. H. EICKHOFF Er AL 2,112,827

April 5, 1938.

cam fi wzg Jan 7D (4 Patented Apr. 5, 1938 I APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF YARN PACKAGES Theodore H. Eickhoii and John P. Arndt, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 8, 1936, Serial No. 89,537

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for a washing, bleaching, desulfuring, dyeing or otherwise treating, with liquids, yarn packagessuch as, for example, cakes of rayon thread produced by the viscose process. The-invention will be described with particular reference to the liquid treatment of regenerated cellulose thread in the form of centrifugally wound cakes. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is equal- 1y applicable to the liquid treatment of yarn packages generally, regardless of the kind or type of yarn, or the method of preparing or winding the same.

Artificial threads are commonly produced from viscose by extruding the latter into an acid coagulating bath and continuously drawing the bundle of filaments formed at the spinneret through a coagulating bath and winding thesame on or in suitable collecting devices such 0 as, for example, bobbins or centrifugal spinning buckets. The packages of yarn formed contain large quantities of spinning bath liquor and various chemical by-products of its manufacture which must be removed'before the yarn can be used in the textile'industry; The yarn packages must furthermore be treated with bleaching an desulfuring solutions to render the yarn suitable for the trade.

It has been common practice in the past to wash the cakes acid free by means of drip, pressure and centrifugal washing methods. The

washed cakes were then commonly subjected to a drying procedure and thereafter the dried yarn was reeled into skeins for further purification.

The skeins of yarn were subjected to a desulfuring and bleaching operation on a so-called wash and bleach machine wherein a plurality of skeins were hung'on a rod and afplurality of rods so loaded with skeins carried by means of a suitable 40 progressing mechanism under the necessary showers with which the yarn would be in contact a suitable length of time to properly purify the same. f

Centrifugally wound bucket cakes, containing large quantities of acid, as they come from the spinning machines, have also been'treated in a continuous manner "by stringing them on. rods,

which are carried along by 1 suitable advancing .inechanism under drips or showers of liquids to efiect a washing, desulfuring, and bleaching; and,

if desired, finishing of the cakes. Such machines for handling'cakes are, however, extremely expensive to build inasmuch as the cake is acid when it is first placed on the machine and,

subsequently,inthe'desulfuring treatment the cakes are subjected to an alkaline solution, and in the bleaching treatment, to an oxidizing solution, If satisfactory yarn is to be produced it is essential that it be not contaminated, and it therefore becomes necessary to build a machine of materials which will withstand the action of dilute acids, alkaline solutions and oxidizing agents. Materials which are satisfactorily resistant to the above mentioned agents are expensive and costly to fabricate.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved liquid treating apparatus for treatment of packages of yarn in which that portion of the apparatus which must necessarily contact the treating liquids is made of substantially chemically inert material, and the remaining portions of the apparatus may be constructed of cheaper materials which are not chemically inert to the treating liquids, said apparatus being protected against corrosion by means here inafter to be described. g It is another object of this invention to provide a liquid treating apparatus for the treatment of yarn packages comprising yarn holding means and yarn turning and conveying means in which the yarn turning and conveying means is protected from corrosion by the treating liquids.

It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn packages comprising a plurality of carriages comprised of yarn supporting means and yarn turning and conveying means, said yarn turning and conveying means being protected from corrosion by the treating liquids by means of individual panels or partitioning means positioned on each carriage between said yarn supporting means and said yarn turning and conveying means, the partitions of the several carriages interlocking with each other to prevent the, escape of spray or, fumes and thereby prevent their contact with the yarn turning-and conveying means. I Other objects of the invention will become ap-; parent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the faccompan'yingdrawings, in" which: Figure 1 is I diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a yarn treating apparatus constructed ,in accordance with the present invention.

' Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a plu-' r'ality of yarn treating carriages together with a-gene'ral arrangement of a track upon which said carriages may be moved. I,

Figure 3j-is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a plurality of yarn treating carriages showing the general arrangement of the yarn supporting means and the individual partitioning means on said carriages.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a yarn treating carriage, with parts shown in section, illustrating the general arrangement of parts when said carriage is positioned in said yarn treating area.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of a yarn treating carriage showing in detail the yarn turning mechanism.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view, taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 4, showing the portions of three yarn treating carriages and illustrating the manner in which the yarn turning and conveying mechanism is protected from the treating liquids.

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic side elevational view illustrating the means for moving said individual carriages throughthe yarn treating area.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of the applicants invention illustrating the partitioning means of a plurality of carriages and the manner in which the same interlock'with each other.

Figure 10 is a top plan view, partially broken away, showing a plurality of drip and catch pans and their relative positions to each other. 7

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the drip and catch pans taken along the line I lli of Figure 10.

' Referring to the drawings, reference numeral ll designates generally the yarn treating apparatus. Reference numeral l1 designates two spaced mono-rails upon which a plurality of yarn treating carriages may be moved. Numeral erally ,designated by reference numerals 3| and, 32 in Figure 1, are positioned in such a manner that the yarn holding rods of the carriages may 7 pass'therebetween for liquid treatment of yarn packages. The drip pans, designated generally I9 designates a plurality of guide rails which are positioned directly over the mono-rails I1 and which serve to maintain the carriages in an upright position by their support of guide wheel 25. The carriages are provided with a plurality of flanged wheels 23, which are adapted to support the carriages 2|, and upon which said carriages may be moved along the mono-rails II. The carriages 2| are provided with panels or partitioning means 21 through whi'ch project a plurality of yarn supporting rods 29. The partitioning means 21 are adapted to fit closely about said yarn holding rods so as to protect the frame work and other mechanism 'of the carriages from the deleterious action of the treating fluids which come.

in contact with the yarn holding rods. A plurality of stationary drip and catch pans, genby numeral 3|, are provided with liquid for the treatment of the yarn' packages by means of con-' recovering and recirculating spent treating liquids. The drip pans 3| are provided with individual treating liquid supply means, such as cocks 99 which are connected to conduit 33. The drip pans are provided with overflow means from Obviously, if desired, means may be provided for purifying,

which the eircess liquid is directed to the bottom catch pan H5 and thence to conduit 39 for return to tank 45 for recirculation to the drip pans.

Fresh treating liquids may be added to tank 45 from time to time as desired. The two spaced liquid treating areas shown in Figure 1 may be provided with partitioning means 41 which may be movable in the manner of swinging or sliding doors with suflicient space btweenthe doors of opposite treating areas to permit athorough inspection and cleaning of the individual treating areas. The two spaced treating areas shown in Figure 1 are preferably provided with panel means 49 covering the top thereof. The ends of the treating areas are provided with, doors 200 (see Fig. 2) so that thetreatingareas may be completely closed. The panels or'partitioning means are sealed to each other and to the top andbottom surfaces of the treating areas sufllciently airtight to prevent substantial leakage of air and permit maintaining a slight vacuum within the treating chambers. The maintenance of a vacuum of to 2 ounces in the chambers will prevent any material escape of fumes from the said chambers which would be deleterious to noncorrosion resistant equipment and to operators of the equipment. The vacuum may be maintained by means of fans, generally designated by numeral 5|, and conduits 53 and 55. The panels or partitioning means in the liquid treating areas are preferably constructed of corrosion resistant materials which serve toseparate the treating zones from the conveying and driving parts of the mechanism and thereby protect said parts from the treating liquids and the fumes arising therefrom. As an example of a substance which is suitable for use. in the construction of said partitions may be mentionedthe material manufactured and sold by the Johns-Manville International Corp. under the trade name Transite, which is an asbestos fiber and Portland cement mixture formed under high pressure in dense,.unlaminated, monolithic sheets of great structural strength and durability. However, any sheeting which is substantially chemically inert to the treating solutions used in. the-liquid treatment of the yarn packages will be suitable for use as the panels or partitions.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 2| designates aplurality of carriages which are simultaneously moved as a unit through rails to the loading and unloading areas 52 shown 7 in Figure 1. I

Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates a plurality ":0: carriages 2|, each of which is provided with partitioning means 21 which partitioning means .are preferablyprovided with male and female elements 91. and 90 respectively (see Figure 9).

These elementsv are adapted to interengage each other to present a substantially air-tight connection between the partitioning means of the several carriages.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, the individual carriage 2| is provided with the necessaryframe work in which are mounted a plurality of cake supporting rods 59. These rods aremounted in the carriages in a plurality of horizontally spaced rows as is clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The rods 59 project through the partitioning panel 2'! and are provided with yieldable bushings at the point where they project through said panels whereby .7

to preserve a substantially air-tight connection between said rods and panels. A plurality of ving a substantially air-tight connection between panel 21 and panel 49. The opposite side of the liquid treating area shown in Figure 4 is provided with movable partitioning panels 41 and 41a.

' These panels may be moved on track 61 by means of supports 63 and rollers 65. els 4'! and 41a. will permit ready inspection, of the drip and catch pan mechanism without interruption of the liquid treatment of the yarn packages. The panels 41 and 41a are arranged in close fitting connection between the floor and the ceiling panel 49 so as to preserve a substantially air-tight condition in which the treating area is maintained.

The yarn treating carriages may be moved along the mono-rails l1. in any desired manner, such as, by means of hydraulic conveying mechanism as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings. The hydraulic conveying mechanism comprises a cylinder 69, a piston 13, means ill and H for the inlet and outlet of liquid for the reciprocation of piston 13. A draw bar 15 is connected 'to the piston 13 for reciprocation therewith. As

the draw bar 15 is reciprocated spring actuated latches 11 connected to the individual carriages are adapted to engage the draw bar 15 in only one direction of its movement and thereby intermittently move said entire series of carriages along the track II.

The yarn packages are preferably continuously turned during their movement through the yarn treating area. The carriages therefore, are preferably provided with vertically positioned reciprocal bars 8|. The lower end of the bars 8| are provided with follower rollers 83 which are adapted to follow the contour of the cam surfaces 85 of cams 81 stationarily positioned along the side of the rail l1. As the carriages are moved along the track l7, the bars 8| are reciprocated and are adapted to'turn the yarnsupporting rods 59 by means of the spring actuated latches 89 which are fastened to the bars 8|, and the ratchet wheels 9| attached to the ends of yarn supporting rods 59.

The treating liquids are applied to the cakes by means of alternately arranged drip and catch pans. The drip pans 3!, (see Figure 4), are provided with a plurality of perforations I03 which are made any desired size so as to project a shower, spray or drip onto the underlying yarff packages 68. Drip pans 3| are supplied with treating liquids by means of shut-ofi cocks 99 which are preferably opened enough to supply I the drip pans 3| with a little'more water or treating liquid than will run through the perforations l03,' the excess liquid will flow from the pans through weir pipes I05 and return to the supply tank through pipe I00. The pipe I will lead all of the excess liquid from the various drip pans to bottom catch pan I I from which it contact with cakes 6|, will flow into catch pans 32 from which the liquids may be passed to a The movable panwas unavoidable heretofore.

recovery system or discarded by passage into a sewer. The various catch pans 32 are provided with extension means I08 which will permit their connection with outlet conduit I09 which is adapted to remove the spent treating liquid through, the bottom catch pan H5 to conduit I23 leading to the sewer. The bottom catch pan I I5 is constructed somewhat difirently than the above mentioned catch pan in that it is provided with a partition H1 and an opening leading into conduit 39 for removal of the unused treating liquid passed thereinto by means of pipe Hill to tank 45 (see Figures 1, 4 and 10) for subsequent recirculation through the system.

As a result of the above described arrangeit ment, the only portions of the entire apparatus which need be constructed of the expensive corrosion resistant material are the yarn supporting rods, the various drip pans and catch pans, and the treating liquid conduits. Consequently this arrangement will permit a considerable econ- 'omy in the construction of apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn packages. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the yarn treating areas or zones are completely enclosed and are provided with fume removal means which will permit the maintenance of a slight vacuum, e. g.-

one to two ounces below atmospheric pressure, in the treating area, operators of liquid treating apparatus will not be endangered by the deleterious fumes arising from the treating liquids such as The above mentioned arrangement of apparatus may furthermore permit a substantially automatic treatment of the yarn packages which after treatment may be removed on the yarn treating carriages to loadtially free from the hot, moist, and obnoxious fumes always present in treating apparatus of the type known heretofore.

It will be obvious that the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated and described may be varied in many details of its construction within wide limits without departing from the nature and'spirit of the invention, and the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the appended claims.

B We claim:

v 1. In an apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn packages, a carriage, means on said carriage for supporting a plurality of yarn packages, said means constructed of a material which is substantially non-corrodible by the liquids used in the yarn treatment, mechanism for moving said carriages, said mechanism constructed of a material which iscorrodible by the liquids used in the yarn treatment, and individual panelling means for protecting said mechanism from the liquids used in the yarn treatment and from any spray or fumes issuing therefrom.

. 2. In an apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn packages, a plurality of carriages, means on said carriages for supporting a plurality of yarn packages, said means constructed of a material which is substantially non-corrodible by the liquids used in the yarn treatment, mechanism for simultaneously moving said carriages, said mechanism constructed of a material which is corrodible by the liquids used in the yarn treatment, individual paneling means on saidv carriages between saidyarn supporting means and said mechanism for protecting said mechanism,from the liquids used in the yarn treatment and from any spray or fumes issuing therefrom, and means for providing a substantially porting means from the remaining sections of said carriages, said panels constituting a wall -01 said chamber.

4. In an apparatus for the liquid treatment of yarn packages, a movable carriage, means on said carriages for supporting a plurality of yarn packages, a reciprocal member on said carriage, said member adapted to engage said yarn package supporting means to rotate the-latter, a stationary cam, a cam follower on said member, said'cam follower adapted to ride on the stationary cam when said carriage is moved and thereby transmit a reciprocating motion to said member, a substantially corrosion resistant panel on said carriage separating said yarn supporting means from the remaining sections'of said carriage.

THEODORE H. EICKHOFF.

JOHN P. ARNDT. 

